DEFINING INJURY and ERGONOMICS :
Demographics give tool developers statistics about the people who are doing jobs that historically are considered high risk for injury .Confussing this is that the definition, and what constitutes a injury , is changing. The pain or discomfort you get when doing certain jobs that were once thought of as "just part of the job" may now be classified as an injury, and again OSHA safety regulations will change accordingly. By being aware of what may soon be classified as a injury or at least having tool and tool accessories designs ready , will help make you a leader in the tool manufacturing industry. One such example is OSHA's regulations regarding Ergonomics "employers have an obligation under the General Duty Clause to (1) keep the workplace free of any recognizable serious hazards, including Ergonomic hazards." Yale university states that "hand arm ergonomic vibration injuries are caused by electric hand tools such as sanders, jig saws, and grinders." The only way of reducing ergonomic vibration of power tools is including anti-vibration factors at the design stage .Having these vibration reducing materials will lead to fewer Ergonomics injuries and fewer workers compensation claims by employers who use Power Hand Tools. The SAND+AID is specifically designed for this purpose, with a anti-vibration design which incudes the use of vibration isolators. The SAND+AID is ideal for tool manufactures who want to stay or get to the top of the tool industry.
THE DO IT YOURSELF ERA:
Today more than ever home owners are taking on home repair and new construction projects themselves, instead of hiring a professional tradesman. This cannot be more evident than in the painting industry. Many office workers are crawling out from behind their cubical and trading in their mouse for a sander and their desk chair for a ladder. Unfortunately the computer mouse can do little damage to an old piece of wood compared to a orbital palm sander and your more likely to break your arm or neck falling off a ladder than you would a desk chair. The good news is that the staggering statistics of ladders accidents by homeowners is getting out. The American Ladder Institute has declared March as National Ladder Safety Month and reports that "Every day 2000 people are injured while using a ladder, 100 of them suffer long term or permanent disability, and one person will die. In Fact: 97% of these cases do not happen at work or from a extremely high height. Instead the vast majority occur while people are doing home maintenance from a height of 12 feet or less." Fortunately, there will soon be a easy to use, inexpensive alterative to a ladder available is stores. It's called the SAND+AID. It is small , lightweight, easy to attach and home owner friendly . For the average DIY'er or anyone who rarely uses a ladder and is uncomfortable when using one, the SAND+AID is a God send. Remember, in many cases the home owner insurance policies cover injury to visitors or other people while at your home, but not the policy owner .
CHANGING REGULATIONS :
It is essential that the product development at tool manufacturing companies have thorough knowledge of current OSHA regulations concerning worker safety . Equally important, however, is identifying trends and predicting how these worker safety trends will effect or change government regulations regarding the tools workers use. What new tools or tool attachments will help companies be in compliance with these regulations and how much will it cost ? As of right now employers are not required to supply every safety related tool on the market to employees, however, it is their moral and ethical obligation to provide workers with a safe working environment and this includes the tools needed for them to perform their jobs. Generally, employees are told to safely use all other means possible when performing their jobs before using ladders, and when ladders are required, they must follow a time consuming list of safety related ladder rules regarding how they are to be used. All cost and safety conscious employers would jump at the chance to have an inexpensive tool accessary which in many situations could avoid the time-consuming ladder scenario, while still getting the require job done as needed. For preparing wall surfaces for coating or painting the SAND+AID is that tool accessory. For commercial use especially, do to the many obstacles from machinery and the frequent maintenance requirements. Getting new tool safety products like the SAND+AID first to market will keep your company one step ahead of your competition. New regulations requiring the use of tools which increase worker safety is coming and relaying on employers moral obligation to provide such tools will be a thing of the past.
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